Means for releasing bombs



Aug. 12 1924.

w. G. MCNEILL ET AL MEANS FOR RELEASING BOMBS Filed May 17; 1923 Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

T'ES

WALTER Gr. MoNEIL-L AND HERBERT H. BLAGKLEDGE, 0F DAYTON, OHIO.

MEANS FOR BELEASING- IBOMBS.

To all whom it mag concern:

.Be itknown that "we, WALTER G. M0- NnrLL and HERBERT H. Bnnokrnoen, citizens of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Means for Releasing Bombs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for releasing bombs.

The object of the invention is to provide means operable by a single control lever to be used in connection with the standard air service bomb racks to releasebombs either one at a time or practically in salvo. .The salvo effect is obtained by releasing the bombs in suchquick succession that their release practically simultaneous.

To the above end the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement herein fully described, shown and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view of thebomb releasing means.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a diametrical section through the mechanism.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 1-4 of Figure 1.

.The bomb releasing mechanism which is manually controlled, comprises a base 1, a cap 2, a hand lever 3, hereinafter termed the control lever, and a plurality of bombreleasing levers l and 5. The control lever 3 is shown as interposed between the bombreleasing levers a and 5 and all of said levers are interposed between the cap 2 and the base 1 and are movable about a common axis, a single bolt or screw 6 passing through all of said levers and also through the cap 2 and screwing into the base 1, as clearly shown in Figure 3 and indicated in Figure 2.

The pivotal movement of the lever f about the pivot 6 is limited by a stop pin or screw 7 threaded into the cap 2 and having the head thereof arranged in an arcuate slot 8 formed in the lever 4. Likewise the pivotal movement of the lever 5 is limited by a pin 9 threaded into the base 1 and having the head thereof arranged in an 'arcuate slot 10 formed in the lever 5.

The means for transmitting movement from the control lever 3 to the bomb-releasinglevers 4 and 5 consists of a tappet "11 having tapered or camlf'aced ,end' portions 12. This tappet is f'slidably mounted in "an opening 13 in" the" control lever '3, While the'jlevers' land 5 are formed with conical openings 14'to'receive the'tapered end portions of the tappetf 11. Operating"conne'c'- t-ions .such ascables 15 are onnected by pivots 16 to the bomb-releasing 'il'evers fl and, 5. The cap 2' is held from turning by providing said cap and basewith interfitting fiat-faced portions17' shown in Figure 3 and indicated in Figure l. 1'

.Motion is first transmitted from the control {lever 3 to the lever 5 through the agency of th'e tappetll. This motion s continued through sufficient predetermined travel to operate the mechanism controlled by the respective cable 15, at which point the motion of the lever 5 is stopped by the action of the pin 9. At this point the tap'pet 11 is cammed up by the action of the lever 5 against the hardened conical surface of said. tappet into the countersunk opening "14 in the lever 1. The motion'ofthe control lever is, in this way, transferred to the lever 4 and continues through suflicient number of degrees to operate the mechanismcontrolled by the respective cable" 10. The operation just described takes place in both the back and forth movements of the control lever.

The principal advantage of the construction and arrangement above described, is that the duties of two separate operating handles are combined in one, insuring easier and quicker manipulation by the operator and requiring less room in installation. The principal novel feature of the mechanism resides in the means for engaging the bomb-releasing levers with the control lever, whereby the bomb-releasing levers are successively operated while moving the control lever back and forth. Thus the bombs are released one at a time or by quickly manipulating the control lever they may be re leased so rapidly as to obtain a salvo releasing effect. The bomb racks controlled by the lever 3 may, in View of the construction described, be arranged at different points and at difierent distances from the control lever and the rest of the bomb-releasing mechanism herein shown and described.

We claim:

1. In means for releasing bombs, the combination of a plurality of bomb-releasing levers a single control lever, and means actuate by said control lever in one continuous movement thereof in one direction, either fore or aft, to successively operate said bomb-releasing levers.

2. In means for releasing bombs, the combination of aplurality of bombreleasing levers, a single control lever, and tappet means actuated by said control lever in one continuous movement thereof in one direction, either fore or aft, to successively operate said bomb-releasing levers.

3. In means for releasing bombs, the combination of a plurality of bomb-releasing levers, a single control lever, and tappet means actuated by said control lever in one continuous movement thereof in one direction, either fore or aft, to successively operate said bomb-releasing levers, all of said levers being movable about'a common axis.

4. In means for releasing bombs, the combination of a plurality of bomb-releasing levers, means for limiting the movement of said levers, a single control lever, and means actuated by said control lever in one con tinuous movement thereof in one direction, either fore or aft, to successively operate said bomb-releasing levers.

'5. In means for releasing bombs, the combination of a plurality of bomb-releasing levers, a single control lever, and a tappet actuated by said control lever in one continuous movement thereof in one direction, either fore or aft, and serving to successively operate said bomb-releasing levers.

6. In means for releasing bombs, the combination of a plurality of bomb-releasing levers, a single control lever, and a tappet actuated by said control lever in one continuous movement thereof in one direction, either fore or aft, and serving to successively operate said bomb-releasing levers, said tappet and b0mb-releasing levers having a relative camming action.

7. In means for releasing bombs, the com bination of a plurality of bomb-releasing levers, a single control lever, and means actuated by said control lever in one continuous movement thereof in one direction, either fore or aft, to successively operate said bomb-releasing levers in both the back and forth movements of the control lever.

8. In means for releasing bom'bs, the combination of a plurality of bomb-releasing levers, a single control lever, and a tappet actuated by said control lever in one continuous movement thereof in one direction, either fore or aft, and serving to successively operate said bomb-releasing levers in both the back and forth movements of the control lever,

9. A control means for actuating a plurality of levers concentrically mounted on the same pivot as the control lever, a recess in each of said levers having walls inclined outwardly toward said control lever, a tappet having upper and lower frusto-canoni cally shaped portions adapted to have a cam engagement with first one and then the other of said inclined walls during a single continuous motion of said control lever in one direction.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

IVALIER G. MoNEILL. HERBERT H. BLAOKLEDGE 

